This invention relates to amusement device or game and more particularly to an electrically operated device which visually or audibly indicates the completion of an act.
This invention concerns a game of pursuit, where the position of a probe on a section of a board is tracked by manipulating a complementary probe on a second section of the board. Each probe is controlled by a different player, and the movements of each probe are hidden from the view of the opposing player. Means are provided to indicate when the probes have been placed in corresponding identical positions on either section of the board indicating that the pursuer has captured its prey.
Generally speaking, games of pursuit are well known in the art. It is known, for instance, to provide a board game on which shorting pins in the form of small boats are inserted into connectors on a board face having complementary designs on either side of a view-blocking board in an effort to obtain coincidence of position. The connectors on the board are interconnected through a resistance network which also forms part of an oscillator circuit such that as the boats on either side approach the same location a continuously emitted audio signal changes pitch or other characteristic. This game is quite complex and requires a substantial amount of skill in its execution.
It is also known in the art to have a position matching or number matching game where a number selected on one board must be matched by a number selected on another through closure of a switching network. Thus, a number selected on one board must be guessed by the player operating a second board interconnected to the first. Indicators are provided to show correct or erroneous guess. In a variation of the above, pins may be inserted in one side of a double-faced board and a second player may try to match his position through insertion of pins on the other side. When two pins are inserted in the same position from both sides of the double-faced board, the pins act to complete the electrical circuit and indicate a match. The nature of those games is such that pure chance is involved in completing a match, or in the alternative, it is suggested that clues be given so that through intellectual deduction a match may be achieved.
It has now been found that a game of pursuit may be made quite exciting to play without need of high skill, yet without appearing to be a game of pure chance. Thus, it has been found that if the pursuer and pursued in such a game are given certain instructions, objectives or restrictions in their possible choice of movements, the element of pure chance is modified and the interest of the players in the game greatly enhanced. This is especially so if the instructions given to at least one of the players are not known to the other.